Cruel joke
by sofia313
Summary: Walder Frey has a very twisted sense of humor and Jon is about to see that as he offers to marry one of his daughters in order to help Arya.
1. Chapter 1

**This is AU, Jon didn't go to the Wall. One shot for now.**

* * *

Jon clenched his fists as he stood in front of an old septon. He couldn't believe this was really happening. He was actually going to wed a girl he hadn't even met. That was absurd. Once again he needed to remind himself why he was doing this. For Arya. To spare her from marrying one of Walder Frey's sons. That had been one of Lord Frey's demands, if Robb and his men wanted to cross the river. Robb needed to wed one of his daughters and Arya needed to wed one of his sons.

When Catelyn had told them about the price, Jon had immediately known that he couldn't let that happen to Arya. She wasn't an object that could be used like that. Instead, he had offered to marry one of Lord Frey's daughters. The old lord had surprisingly agreed, but he has had one condition. Unlike Robb, Jon wouldn't be allowed to choose which daughter he wanted to wed, Lord Frey would make the choice.

To make the matters worse, Jon wasn't even allowed to meet his future wife before the wedding. Not that it mattered; he was only doing this for Arya. His eyes met Robb's who gave him an encouraging nod. Jon knew that Robb was grateful he was doing this. Even Catelyn had thanked him. Theon on the other hand was having a lot of fun. He had kept grinning at Jon the whole time.

Finally Lord Frey entered the hall, arm in arm with Jon's bride. She was wearing a light peachy wedding gown and a veil that hid her face. All Jon could tell was that she looked quite short. He swallowed as Lord Frey walked her down the aisle and handed her over to Jon. He tried desperately to catch a glimpse of her face, but the veil hid her completely.

"You may now cloak the bride and bring her under your protection," the septon said.

She wasn't going to lift her veil; he was supposed to wed her without even knowing what she looked like. Great. She turned around, helping him to remove her cloak and replace it with his own.

"My lords, my ladies," the septon continued. "We stand here in the sight of gods and men to witness the union of man and wife. One flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever."

Jon bit his bottom lip as he took his bride's small and shaking hand in his. He wasn't really familiar with this wedding ceremony, but he had memorized what he needed to say and do. The septon tied a ribbon in a knot around their hands.

"Let in be known that Lord Jon, son of Lord Eddard of House Stark and Lady Shirei of House Frey are one heart, one flesh, one soul. Cursed be he who would seek to tear them asunder. In the sight of the Seven, I hereby seal these two souls, binding them as one for eternity."

The septon paused and unraveled the ribbon.

"Look upon each other and say the words."

Jon looked at the girl, but he couldn't see anything. Damn it. He still had to say the words he had memorized.

"Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger. I am hers and she is mine. From this day, until the end of my days."

The septon didn't say anything and Jon couldn't remember what he needed to do next.

"Go ahead, young lord, give your wife a kiss," Lord Frey's amused voice said.

Jon swallowed as he remembered the next part. He needed to lift her veil. Somehow he managed to move his hands and took a hold of the veil. When he lifted it, he gasped. A child. A young girl who looked absolutely terrified. Her tearful large blue eyes looked at him fearfully. Jon was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

"Lord Jon?" Lord Frey's voice said. "I believe she is expecting her kiss."

"She… She is a child," Jon finally managed to say.

"She looks like a woman to me," Lord Frey replied and chuckled. "What do you say, Lord Stark?"

Robb seemed beyond tense; Jon knew what was at stake here. They didn't have any time to waste. Jon looked at the girl and forced a calming smile on his face.

"With this kiss, I pledge my love," he murmured and touched her cheek with his lips as briefly as he could.

Lord Frey chuckled and clapped his hands. Other people in the hall followed his example, although there was nothing worth clapping here. Lord Frey had just forced Jon to wed a frightened child. The whole thing was nothing but a cruel joke. Who could do that to his own daughter?

"It's alright," Jon whispered to the girl. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She didn't say anything; silent tears were still rolling down her cheeks. Jon felt nothing but protective of her and he swore to himself that he would keep her safe, no matter what it would take.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

Jon had never really thought about getting married and he certainly hadn't had any thoughts about his wedding, but if he would have, the wedding wouldn't have been anything like this. "The wedding feast" Walder Frey had arranged for him and his newlywed wife was nothing more than cruel mockery. A travesty of a wedding.

Once again Jon couldn't help but wonder what kind of a man could do this to his own daughter. What kind of a man could humiliate a scared child like this? It was painfully clear that Lady Shirei wasn't nearly old enough to get married. Jon wasn't sure how old she was exactly, but he guessed somewhere between 10 and 12. A child.

He doubted that she had even bled yet. In the north no girls were married off before they had bled. Apparently things were different here or then Walder Frey simply didn't care about any decency. Jon glanced at his bride who was sitting at the table beside him. Clearly she was still scared, but thankfully she wasn't crying anymore. Jon cleared his throat before he managed to speak.

"My lady?" he said quietly, not wanting to draw unwanted attention. "Are you alright?"

She didn't look at him, but she nodded.

"You don't have to be afraid, I swear to you."

She still didn't look at him and he really couldn't blame her for that. He couldn't even imagine how it felt like for a young girl to be in her position. Her father had just handed her over to a strange man like she would have been an object. Ironically that was exactly what Jon had wanted to save Arya from.

"So…" Jon continued after a moment of silence. "Shirei… That's a nice name."

"Thank you, my lord," she murmured.

"Please, call me Jon. May I call you Shirei?"

"Of course."

"Thank you." Jon paused, trying to decide how to continue. The whole situation was uncomfortable, especially when they were surrounded by her family, Robb, Catelyn, Theon and most of the northern lords who had joined Robb. Lord Frey seemed to be in an excellent mood, he demanded the musicians to keep playing while he enjoyed his wine and groping his young wife. People were talking, eating and drinking, although Jon didn't see any reason to celebrate this wedding.

"I…" Jon started, but he didn't have time to finish his sentence when a male servant appeared next to him and poured him more wine.

"My lord," he said so quietly that only Jon could hear him. "My lady asks to speak to you."

Jon frowned.

"Your lady?"

"Lady Derwa Frey, my lord," the servant replied.

"Where is she?"

"She… She asks to speak to you privately, my lord. Outside the dining hall."

"Alright," Jon replied cautiously. "Tell her that I will be there soon."

The servant bowed.

"Yes, my lord. Thank you."

Jon picked up his wine goblet and took a long gulp. He couldn't imagine why Lord Frey's daughter, who he assumed she was, wanted to speak to him, he hadn't even met her. It was very unlikely that she would want to congratulate him. He waited for a moment before excusing himself.

"Of course, my lord," Lady Shirei said quietly. It seemed that she wasn't comfortable calling him by his first name yet and he wasn't going to pressure her. They could talk about these things privately. Thankfully no one seemed to pay much attention to him leaving the dining hall.

"My lord?" a cautious female voice said when he reached the hallway.

Jon turned and saw a woman who curtsied at him. He had seen her earlier at the wedding ceremony, but they hadn't spoken. She was wearing a modest dark grey gown and her long brown hair was down. He wouldn't have necessarily described her as very beautiful, but she wasn't ugly either. A very average looking woman, just like most of the Frey girls.

"My lady," he greeted her. "What can I do for you?"

She blinked few times nervously; she wasn't looking at him in the eyes.

"I… I am here to plea for my sister," she said quietly. "I beg you to take pity on her."

"What?" Jon gasped.

"It is not my intention to offend you, my lord," she continued quickly. "But… Shirei is only 11, she… She is not a woman yet."

"Yes, I agree," Jon replied.

Lady Derwa finally looked at him, she was still cautious.

"You do?"

"Of course, I'm not a monster, I would never… I would never touch a child. Your sister will be safe with me, my lady, I promise you."

Lady Derwa's eyes watered up as she curtsied.

"Thank you, my lord, thank you so much. My sisters and I were so afraid for Shirei. She is a sweet and innocent girl."

"I'm sure she is and as I said, she will be safe with me."

Lady Derwa nodded gratefully.

"You are a good man, my lord."

"Any decent man would do the same," Jon replied. "As you said, she is a child."

Lady Derwa looked distressed.

"My father… He…"

"I won't let him hurt your sister," Jon assured.

"No, you don't understand. He… He will demand you to…consummate your marriage."

Jon's eyes widened.

"What? Surely he wouldn't…"

"He would," Lady Derwa replied quietly. "It's his way to show his…power."

And probably also his way to show Jon his place. The thought was nothing but disgusting, Jon truly despised the man.

"I'll refuse," Jon replied firmly.

"No, you can't, my father wouldn't accept that."

"What are you suggesting then?" Jon asked sharply.

Lady Derwa looked at him calmly.

"Let him believe that he won. It's the only way."

Jon pressed his lips together, he truly hated this. Yet he had to do this. For his father, for Robb and for Shirei.

"Alright," he muttered tensely. "I'll let him believe that he won, but no need to worry, no harm will come to your sister. I give you my word."


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

" _You'll lie down and he'll be on top of you. You both will be naked. He'll maybe kiss you or touch you before he'll spread your legs open. Then he'll put his member, his man part, inside of you. It will hurt a lot and he will move it in and out. How long that will last, depends on a man. I know it won't be easy, but try to relax if you can and don't try to fight. The first time will be the most painful one, after that there won't be so much pain, unless he purposely makes it painful. I've heard that some men are kind to their wives, so maybe he'll be that kind of man. If he's not, you'll eventually adjust. Be strong and try to think about nice things. I usually think about flowers. I close my eyes and imagine a flower field. Then I start to count the thrusts. It's usually over before I reach 15. If you are lucky, your husband won't last much longer."_

Shirei couldn't think about anything except her stepmother's words. Tears were burning behind her eyes and she was so scared that she was shaking. There were so many things she couldn't understand and she had been too terrified to ask. She knew that her husband would put his man part inside of her because that would put a babe in her belly.

What did his man part look like? How big was it? What if it wouldn't fit? What if it would break her? The pain terrified her the most. And she would have to be naked with him. She didn't want that. She didn't want any of this. She just wanted to go to her own bed and hug her doll. Tears were filling her eyes again and she turned her head away. She was afraid that her husband would be angry at her; he had asked her not to cry. She was trying very hard to stop, but she was too afraid.

"Alright, time for the bedding!" her father announced.

The new terror made her froze; she had seen the bedding before when her brothers and sisters had gotten married. Her husband stood up and looked at her father.

"Lord Frey, I don't believe that we need the bedding…"

"This is my house and I say we do," her father snorted. "Take them to bed!"

Shirei couldn't move, tears of terror were rolling down her cheeks. She wanted to run or hide or anything.

"Robb," she heard her husband murmuring.

Shirei cried out when a gentle hand touched her shoulder.

"It's alright," Lord Stark whispered before lifting her up. Few other men joined him and they carried her out of the dining hall.

"Gentlemen," Lord Stark said harshly. "The first man who even tries to touch the lady's clothes will lose a finger. Understood?"

"My lord," Renn, one of Shirei's brothers, said. "My father said…"

"He told us to escort the lady to the bedchamber," Lord Stark cut in. "And that is exactly what we are going to do."

Shirei was shaking violently and silent tears were coursing down her cheeks.

" _You both will be naked… It will hurt a lot… The first time will be the most painful one…"_

The men carried her to the bedchamber that had been prepared for her and her husband. Carefully they placed her on the floor and Lord Stark smiled at her before leading the men out of the room. It didn't take long before the women, most of them Shirei's sisters, carried Lord Jon inside.

"Thank you, ladies," he said as they placed him on the floor.

Derwa glanced at him before looking at Shirei.

"Good night, sister," she said, giving Shirei a calming smile. Shirei wanted to beg Derwa to take her with her, but she couldn't. She had to spend the night in this bedchamber with her husband. Suddenly everyone else was gone and she was alone with him. She would have to take her clothes off now. The thought made her dizzy, she was afraid that she would faint.

"Shirei," her husband said softly. "I can see how scared you are, but you don't have to be, I promise you."

She kept her eyes on the floor and nodded.

"Yes, my lord, thank you."

He took a deep breath.

"Look… This is all wrong. This whole thing. What your father did… It was wrong. You are still a child; he should have never married you off."

Slowly Shirei looked up, confused by his words.

"Forgive me, my lord, I don't… I don't understand."

He looked sad, but he still smiled at her.

"I won't touch you," he said. "You don't have to be afraid of that."

She was even more confused.

"But… How can you…"

"What?" he asked when she didn't continue. She was too embarrassed.

"I… My father's wife… She… She told me what will…happen tonight."

He shook his head.

"None of that will happen tonight, I promise you. You will sleep on the bed and I will sleep on the floor."

She blinked nervously, fearing what her father would say.

"Have… Have I done something wrong?" she squeaked.

"No, no," he assured. "As I said, you are still a child and I would never hurt a child. I'll take care of you and protect you, you can trust me."

She hesitated for a moment before she found enough courage to speak.

"You… you won't put a babe in my belly?"

He smiled.

"No."

She had never been so relieved, but she still wasn't sure did he mean what he said.

"Do I have to be naked?"

"No, you don't. You'll be safe here; no harm will come to you. The only reason why we have to share this chamber tonight is your father. He expects us… to do what his wife told you about, but we won't. We only need to make your father believe that we have done that."

Shirei was confused again, how could they make her father believe that they had been naked together? She looked at her husband as he walked over to the bed and pulled the covers aside. Her eyes widened when he took a small bottle out of his pocket and poured the red liquid on the sheet.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Blood. Women bleed when…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but she could guess the rest. Bleeding sounded normal when something was being thrust…down there.

"Alright, I think you need some rest after today," he said. "The bed is all yours, make yourself comfortable."

She looked at him insecurely

"My father's wife said that she had heard about men who are kind to their wives. Thank you, my lord."


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

Jon couldn't sleep. He wasn't cold or even uncomfortable, even though he was lying on the cold stone floor on couple of blankets. He had slept on the ground many times, so this wasn't so bad. The roaring fire in the fireplace kept the bedchamber warm and he had a nice soft pillow under his head. The only sound he heard was Shirei's calm breathing. Thankfully she was asleep; the poor girl really needed some rest.

Jon sighed and folded his hands under his head. If someone would have told him yesterday that he would be in this situation right now, he wouldn't have believed it. He had a wife. An innocent child wife who hadn't even celebrated her 12th nameday yet. And he was on his way to the war. What should he do with Shirei? How could he make sure that she was safe?

Leaving her here with that monster father of hers certainly didn't sound like a good option. Should he send her to Winterfell then? He didn't know. All he knew for sure was that her safety and welfare were his responsibility now. Poor girl. He doubted that he was the kind of husband she would have chosen, if the choice would have been hers. But then again, she probably hadn't thought about marriage or men in general very much yet. She was a child, not a woman.

Jon sighed again and closed his eyes. He needed to get some sleep. Just couple of hours… His eyes flew open as he suddenly heard heavy footsteps from the hallway. At least three people, probably men, were approaching the bedchamber. Now Jon understood why there wasn't a lock on the door. Damn it. Jon acted quickly; he got up, placed the blankets and the pillow on the bed and dived under Shirei's blanket. Thankfully he had removed his boots and cloak before settling on the floor.

Shirei blinked her eyes sleepily, but unfortunately Jon had no time to say anything to her before the door opened. Jon wasn't really surprised to see Lord Frey. Shirei was completely awake now; she looked as frightened as a hunted rabbit when she saw Jon beside her and her father entering the chamber with two guards. Jon sat straight up and made sure that the blanket covered Shirei. She was wearing a nightgown and he was wearing a shirt and pants, which he had opened under the blanket.

"What is the meaning of this?" Jon asked as calmly as he could. "You woke my wife."

"My apologies, young lord," Lord Frey responded mockingly. His eyes were on Shirei who was shaking under the blanket. Jon tensed when he saw the wicked smile on the old man's face.

"Tell me, is my daughter a woman already?" Lord Frey asked.

"Yes," Jon replied, struggling to control himself.

"Very good. Was her cunt of your liking?"

Jon pressed his lips together; this man really was a monster. Hadn't he humiliated his daughter enough, did he have to do this in front of his guards?

"She is a lovely girl," Jon managed to say.

"I bet she was very tight," Lord Frey chuckled. "Who wouldn't like a tight cunt?"

"I think we're both tired, my lord," Jon replied coolly. "Would you excuse us?"

"I want to see the bed sheet."

"Couldn't that wait until the morning…"

"No." Lord Frey paused and glanced at Shirei who was clearly terrified. Her skinny legs were shaking as she stood up. Jon followed her example, although he would have liked to stab Lord Frey or at least somehow comfort poor Shirei. Wrapping his arm around her felt way too intrusive, the last thing he wanted was to scare her.

"Very good," Lord Frey said as he observed the blood on the bed sheet. Thankfully Lady Derwa had given Jon the small bottle of blood; Lord Frey might have been suspicious if he would have noticed any fresh wounds on Jon. Once again Jon had to control himself when Lord Frey ordered one of the guards to take the bed sheet.

"Why would you need that, my lord?"

Lord Frey smiled that malevolent smile of his.

"My daughter is a woman now, surely that calls for a celebration."

Jon gritted his teeth, but he didn't argue. Right now he only wanted Lord Frey to leave. Fortunately he did, after telling Jon to enjoy the rest of his wedding night. Jon took a deep breath after Lord Frey had closed the door behind him. Shirei was standing next to the bed, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"It's alright," Jon said quietly and gestured her to lie down. "Please."

She obeyed and tensed when Jon lied down as well.

"It's alright," Jon whispered in case someone was still behind the door. "I need to stay here in case someone comes in, but I'm not going to touch you, I promise."

Shirei was quiet for a moment before looking at Jon.

"My father… If… If he finds out…"

"He won't," Jon assured. "You are my wife now; you don't have to be afraid of him anymore."

Shirei blinked few times, she seemed nervous.

"Will… Will you take me with you?"

"Yes," Jon replied. He had decided that he most certainly wasn't going to leave her here.

"Can I take Neve with me?"

"Who is that?"

"My favorite doll."

Jon felt a nasty sting, she really was a child.

"Sure you can."

She gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you. I'll be a good wife, I can sew and wash your clothes and…"

"We have time to talk about that later. Right now I would like to know something about you."

Her eyes widened.

"About me?"

"Yes. Could you tell me something about yourself?"

She hesitated for a moment before replying.

"I… I like animals."

"Really? Well, I have a direwolf called Ghost."

She gasped.

"You have?"

"Yes. I think he'll like you very much."

She smiled.

"I hope so. I would like to meet him."

"You will tomorrow. Right now I think we could both use some sleep."

She nodded and yawned.

"Good night, Shirei."

She gave him a timid smile and touched his hand.

"Good night, Jon."


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

Shirei looked around in the small bedchamber which she shared with the twins Serra and Sarra. They weren't here right now, she was by herself. A maid had packed all her belongings in a small chest. She didn't own much, everything fit in that one chest. It was on her bed, ready to be picked up. Shirei walked over to her bed and opened the chest in order to make sure that Neve was there. Thankfully she was.

Carefully Shirei picked the doll up and hugged her. Today she would leave her home for good and start a new life with her husband. Lord Jon had said that they would leave right after breakfast. They would travel with an army of strange men. The thought made Shirei nervous and a little scared. She had spent her whole life here and the only men she had ever spent time with had been her brothers.

Not that they had paid much attention to her, to them she had been the shy and timid runt. She had always preferred the company of her sisters; they weren't intimidating like most of her brothers. Shirei had lost her mother when she had been a small child and she didn't remember much about her. Her sisters had told her that her mother had died in childbirth and Shirei had been afraid that the same thing would happen to her.

That was one of the reasons why she was so grateful to her husband. He had said that he wasn't going to put a babe in her belly. She still couldn't understand how the babe would come from his man part. That sounded very strange and she was grateful that he hadn't wanted to put his man part inside of her. He had been very kind to her, kinder than any other man.

She especially liked his gentle voice and the way he talked to her. His words weren't mean, harsh or cruel, they were kind. He was kind. She hoped that she would be able to please him. She needed to be a good wife. But how? According to her father's wife, men only wanted to put their man part inside of their wives. Lord Jon didn't want that, so she needed other ways to make him happy. Thankfully she could sew well and she was quite good with horses. She could wash his clothes, serve his meals and take care of his horse.

"I'm a wife now," she murmured to her doll and placed it back into the chest.

"Shirei?" Derwa's voice said.

Shirei turned around and saw her sister standing in the doorway.

"Hi."

"Hello," Derwa replied. She was smiling, but her smile was tense. "How are you?"

"I'm fine."

Derwa pressed her lips together and closed the door.

"Are you sure? Did Lord Jon… Did everything go well last night?"

"Yes, he was very kind to me."

"Good… That's good."

Derwa walked over to Shirei and hugged her.

"My poor little sister… I am going to miss you."

Shirei let out a sob.

"I'll miss you too. All of you."

Derwa stroked Shirei's hair and hugged her tightly.

"Lord Jon gave me his word that he will take care of you. I need you also to take care of yourself."

"I promise," Shirei sobbed.

"I need you to be strong. I know you can, you are a Frey. Our House might not be the most powerful one, but we are strong. Especially us women."

Shirei was still sobbing, but she nodded.

"Sweet little Shirei… You are leaving us too soon."

Shirei buried her face in Derwa's shoulder; she was really starting to understand that she would leave her sisters today.

"I wish you a safe journey, little one," Derwa murmured with a shaky voice. Derwa had always been the strongest one of her sisters; Shirei had never seen her crying. Now she felt Derwa's tears soaking into her hair. They stayed like that until they heard a knock. Derwa pulled away and quickly dried her eyes.

"Yes?"

A maid opened the door.

"Pardon me, my lady, Lord Frey is waiting for Lady Shirei in the dining hall."

"We'll be right there," Derwa replied.

"Yes, my lady."

Shirei dried her eyes, she needed to stop crying.

"You are strong," Derwa said firmly and touched her shoulder. "Come, father and Lord Jon are waiting."

* * *

Jon had to struggle to control himself as he sat at the table. He was nothing but repulsed by their host's "thoughtful gesture". The bloody bed sheet had been hanged on the wall. According to Lord Frey, he wanted everyone to see that his daughter was a woman now. More likely he wanted everyone to see that Jon had bedded a child. Either way, the man was nothing but disgusting.

"Ah, there's the little flower!" Lord Frey announced when Shirei entered the dining hall with Lady Derwa. Other members of the Frey household were already at the table. So were Robb, Catelyn and Theon. Jon was grateful that at least Robb knew the truth.

"Come, girl, come!" Lord Frey demanded. "Sit on your husband's lap. I'm sure he would like that."

"I think she would be more comfortable on a chair," Jon stated coolly. He was more than ready to stab Lord Frey.

"Nonsense." Lord Frey paused and glanced at Shirei. "Be a good wife and sit on your husband's lap."

Shirei kept her eyes on her floor, her cheeks were bright red.

"Now, girl."

Jon was about to reach his limit, but Robb stopped him.

"Let it go," Robb whispered. "We'll leave after this."

Jon was furious when he saw Shirei's distress. She walked over to him with shaky legs and sat on his lap.

"There's a good wife," Lord Frey chuckled. "You should be glad, Lord Jon, she has already been trained quite well."

Jon didn't say anything; he barely managed to control himself. Poor girl certainly didn't deserve any of this. The only good thing was that she wouldn't have to endure anything like this after today. Soon they would be far away from here and her father would never hurt her again. Jon would make sure of that even if it would be the last thing he would ever do.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

"Hello," Jon greeted Shirei as she approached him. It wasn't difficult to see how nervous she was, especially since she was drawing so much attention. There were many men in the courtyard, preparing their horses. Most of them openly stared at Shirei who didn't dare to even look up.

"Hello," she murmured nervously.

Jon gave the men an annoyed glare before concentrating on Shirei.

"Would you like to ride?" he asked. "Or then we can arrange a carriage for you."

"I… I can ride, my lord."

"Jon," he corrected gently. "Are you sure? We have a long ride ahead of us today."

She nodded; she still wasn't looking at him.

"I've been told that I'm a good rider," she said quietly.

"I'm sure you are. I just want you to be as comfortable as possible."

Slowly she looked up and gave him a timid smile.

"Thank you my lor… Jon. You are very kind."

"You don't have to thank me," he assured. "I promised to take care of you, didn't I?"

She blushed and lowered her head, finally noticing the direwolf who was sitting next to Jon.

"Is… Is this Ghost?"

"Yes," Jon replied and petted the wolf's head. "Ghost, this is Shirei. I expect you to be on your best behavior with her."

The wolf looked at the girl vigilantly and tilted his head.

"Hold out your hand," Jon said. "Let him smell you."

Slowly Shirei knelt and held out her hand. She didn't make any sudden movements or tried to touch Ghost. Clearly she knew how to approach a wolf. Ghost sniffed her hand and then her face. Shirei laughed when he licked her cheek. Jon couldn't help but smile, it was nice to hear her laughing.

"Good boy," Jon praised. "This lady is under our protection and I trust you to keep her safe."

Ghost glanced at his master and let out a bark.

"That's right," Jon confirmed and held out his hand for Shirei. "Keep her safe."

"He is beautiful," Shirei said smiling.

"Aye, direwolves are magnificent creatures. Have you met one before?"

Shirei shook her head.

"No."

"You were natural then; you knew exactly how to approach him."

"We have hounds here; I have sometimes played with them."

"Oh." Jon paused and glanced at Ghost. "I suppose he looks a little like a hound…"

"No, no," Shirei protested. "He's a beautiful wolf. Yes, you are."

Ghost wagged his tail as Shirei petted him. She looked a little more relaxed, but she tensed again when Robb and Theon approached them.

"Lady Shirei," Robb greeted her politely. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, my lord," she replied quietly. Once again her eyes were on the ground, clearly she was nervous.

"Well, I must say you're a lucky man, Snow," Theon hummed smiling. "Such a cute little wife you have."

Jon gave him a murderous glare, hoping that he would for once act like a decent person. Shirei had been humiliated more than enough.

"I think you two are perfect for each other," Theon continued innocently. "I mean she of course didn't have a choice, but that's good for you. How else would you have ever found a willing woman… I'm sorry, a girl…"

Theon didn't have a chance to finish his sentence when Jon's fist jammed into his face. He lost his balance and fell on his back. Ghost was growling and he would have attacked Theon if Jon wouldn't have stopped him.

"Well, you deserved that one," Robb stated dryly.

Theon was furious as he got up.

"I'll make you pay…"

"Enough," Robb said firmly. "As I said, you deserved that one. There's a lady present, she deserves proper respect, would you agree?"

Theon glared at Jon who was ready to beat him up if he had to. At the same time Jon was worried about Shirei, he hoped that he hadn't scared her. And unfortunately they had a large audience; the men were observing the situation curiously. Thankfully Theon didn't make things worse.

"My apologies, Lady Shirei. And good luck." Theon paused and snorted. "You're going to need it."

Jon pressed his lips together as Theon went to get his horse.

"I'm sorry," Jon said quietly after Robb went to give orders to his men. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't," Shirei assured, although she sounded frightened. Damn it, he should have controlled himself.

"Shirei… I would never hurt you, I swear."

She was quiet for a moment before looking at him.

"I believe you."

He didn't have time to reply when a stable boy brought Shirei her horse, a chestnut mare.

"Her name is Meadow," Shirei said while gently petting the horse's muzzle.

"She's beautiful," Jon replied.

"Yes, she is."

Jon helped her mounting the horse and noticed her looking at the window. Her sisters were there. Shirei swallowed and dried her eyes. Jon wanted to say something, but he had no words. What could he possibly say that would make her feel any better? He mounted his own horse, planning to stay close to Shirei in order to make sure that no one would be disrespectful to her.

Robb and Lady Catelyn were talking to Lord Frey and his son Olyvar who was Robb's new squire. At least Shirei had one member of her family near. Thankfully the old man stayed near the doors. According to the rumors he was very paranoid, he never left the Twins.

Finally it was time to leave. Shirei's eyes widened when she saw the whole northern army as they rode out of the courtyard. Most men had spent their night in the castle grounds and now they were all ready to march across the bridge.

"There are so many of them," Shirei murmured.

"Aye," Jon replied. "One can't go to war without an army."

Shirei was quiet for a while before speaking.

"You… You will go to war as well?"

"Yes," Jon replied. "I must, for my father."

"But… What if…"

"What?" Jon asked when she didn't continue.

"What if you get hurt?"

Jon looked at her and saw the distress in her eyes.

"It's alright; I'll make sure that you'll be taken care of if something would happen to me."

She shook her head.

"I don't want anything bad happen to you."

She sounded so serious that Jon couldn't help but smile.

"Why not?"

She swallowed and blushed.

"Because you're my husband. I don't want to lose you."

She sounded nothing but sincere. Jon smiled warmly, once again feeling the strong need to protect her. She was a very sweet girl.

"You won't," he assured. That was a promise he knew he shouldn't make, but he wanted to take her distress away. She deserved to be happy, at least for a little while.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

"This is for you," Robb said when he and Jon were finally alone in his tent. They had stopped to rest for few hours after riding the whole day.

Jon glanced at the small wooden chest and raised an eyebrow.

"What's this?"

"Shirei's dowry."

"What?"

Robb smiled.

"Her father may be Walder Frey, but she is still a noble girl. Most of them have dowry."

"Lord Frey didn't mention anything about dowry," Jon murmured.

"He gave this to me before we left," Robb replied. "I promised to deliver this to you."

Jon looked at the chest suspiciously; he really didn't want anything from the old man.

"I can wait outside if you want to open it in private," Robb offered.

"No, you don't have to do that," Jon stated and took a deep breath. "I'm just not sure if I want to open this."

"Are you expecting poisonous snakes?" Robb joked.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Jon huffed. "That man… I don't think I've ever met anyone I would despise more."

"I know what you mean," Robb sighed. "But if it makes you feel any better, I will also have to wed one of his daughters."

"Do you already know which one?"

Robb bit his bottom lip.

"Well… I did meet all the daughters and I believe I made my choice."

"Ah. Did you tell Lord Frey?"

"Aye and he assured me that he will keep her "pure" for me." Robb paused and sighed.

"Why didn't you wed her right away?" Jon asked.

"I'm on my way to war, Lord Frey understood that."

"Good," Jon muttered, trying to hide his annoyance. Of course he was glad that Robb hadn't been forced to get married right away, but that didn't change what Lord Frey had done to Jon and Shirei."Which daughter did you choose?"

"Lady Roslin."

Jon remembered her well, a very pretty young woman.

"Oh. I'm sure she will be a good wife."

Robb gave Jon a sympathetic look.

"Listen… I'm sorry. I'll never forget what you did for Arya."

"She's my sister," Jon murmured. "No one has to thank me for looking after her."

"Well, I still thank you," Robb replied and touched Jon's shoulder. "And Lady Shirei is lucky to have you as her husband."

Jon didn't reply, he doubted that Shirei would agree.

"I know she's not the kind of wife you would have chosen, but she's a sweet girl," Robb continued. "I'm sure after couple of years she will be a sweet woman."

"She deserves better," Jon murmured. "What do I have to offer her?"

"You are my brother," Robb replied firmly. "I don't know what tomorrow brings, but nothing will ever change that. We're family; we'll always look after each other."

Jon wasn't sure how to reply, but he appreciated Robb's words.

"So," Robb continued after a moment of silence. "Are you planning to look inside the chest?"

"I suppose I have to," Jon sighed. His eyebrows furrowed as he opened the chest. The first thing he spotted was a doll.

"Good old Walder Frey," Robb snorted when Jon picked the doll up.

The chest also entailed silver, few gold coins, the bloody bed sheet and a short letter.

 _Lord Jon_

 _I hope my daughter will offer you many more nights of pleasure. Welcome to the family._

 _Lord Walder Frey_

"Charming," Robb huffed when Jon showed him the letter. "Poor girl."

"Aye," Jon murmured. "Do you think Lady Catelyn could share a tent with Shirei?"

"Yes, I believe so. Mother seemed worried about her earlier."

Jon bit his bottom lip.

"Does she know that I didn't…?"

"Aye, I told her."

"Good," Jon murmured.

Lady Catelyn already disliked him enough; Jon didn't want her to think that he would have bedded Shirei.

"I don't want her to be by herself," Jon added. He knew that he had a long night ahead of him with Robb and the war council.

* * *

Shirei tried her best to eat, but she didn't have much appetite. She hadn't seen Jon after they had camped for a night and she was concerned that she had somehow angered him. Why else would he want her to share a tent with Lady Stark instead of him and Ghost? How could she show him that she was a good wife if she didn't even share his tent?

"This has been a long day," Lady Stark said. "You must be tired."

Shirei shook her head.

"I should wait for my husband."

"He and Robb still have many things to do. You should rest, dear."

Shirei didn't want to offend Lady Stark; she had been very nice to her, but she would have still wanted to wait for Jon.

"I know all of this is new to you," Lady Stark continued. "A young girl certainly shouldn't be here, but you don't have to worry, we will arrange you a safe place to stay."

"A safe place?" Shirei repeated cautiously.

"Yes. A battlefield is no place for a young lady."

"But… I want to stay with Jon."

"I'm sure he also wants you to be safe. You can't stay here, dear."

Shirei swallowed, she was terrified. What had she done wrong? Why did Jon want to send her away? Where would she go? Her thoughts kept her awake long after Lady Stark was asleep. Finally she couldn't stay in the tent anymore, she needed to go to Jon and ask him not to send her away. Thankfully there were only few tents since they had only camped here for few hours. Jon's tent was easy to find, Ghost was sleeping in front of the entrance.

"Hi," Shirei greeted the wolf who recognized her immediately and followed her inside. Jon wasn't there. Shirei felt bad for him; did he have any time to sleep? She decided to wait for him and lied down on his bed. Ghost joined her, curling up on her feet. She was grateful for the warmth and tried to stay awake. She had to wait for Jon. Unfortunately she was very tired and the bed was comfortable. It didn't take long before she drifted into sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

Jon yawned as he entered his tent. The day had been very long, he really needed some sleep. Couple of hours was all the time he had, but it was better than nothing. Tiredly he removed his cloak and was just about to remove his boots when he suddenly noticed that he wasn't alone. Shirei was sleeping in his bed. Ghost had curled up at her feet, he was observing Jon carelessly. Jon frowned as he met the wolf's gaze.

"Well, you have made yourself comfortable, haven't you?"

Ghost leaned his head on Shirei's leg; he looked more than pleased with himself.

"I know I told you to look after her, but this wasn't exactly what I meant."

The wolf let out a lazy ruff. Jon smiled; he couldn't deny that the duo looked very sweet. But why was Shirei here, she should be in Catelyn's tent. Jon was just wondering what to do when she sighed before slowly opening her eyes.

"Jon?" she murmured sleepily.

"Aye, I'm here."

She yawned and made room for him.

"Come to bed, you need to sleep."

He bit his bottom lip, feeling uncomfortable.

"Shirei… That wouldn't be…right."

He could tell that she was alarmed as she quickly got into a sitting position.

"I…I'm sorry," she stuttered. "I didn't mean to intrude; I can sleep on the ground…"

"No, no, that's not what I meant," Jon cut in. "What I meant was that it's not…appropriate for us to share a bed."

Shirei stared at him, she was clearly confused.

"But… I am your wife. We shared a bed last night."

"Yes, because we had to."

Now she looked hurt.

"I don't please you," she murmured. "I'm sorry, I can learn. Please, tell me what to do."

Jon's heart ached when he saw her distress. She looked so young and innocent.

"No," he said as he sat on the bed beside her. "You haven't done anything wrong. The reason why it feels wrong for me to share a bed with you is because you are so young. I don't want you to be scared or uncomfortable."

"I'm not. You have been very kind to me, I'm not afraid of you."

"I'm glad to hear that," he replied smiling.

She looked at him shyly.

"I would like to stay with you. May I?"

Jon hesitated; he really wasn't sure what to say.

"You need to sleep," she added. "We both do."

"Yes, but…"

"Please," she said and gestured him to lie down. "It's alright, Jon. I trust you."

A part of him still hesitated, but he was way too tired to continue arguing. He really needed some sleep. They both lied down while Ghost made himself comfortable at their feet. Jon was so exhausted that it only took him few seconds to fall asleep.

* * *

"What is this? What did you do?"

"Nothing, my lady, I swear. I would never…"

Shirei woke up when she heard someone speaking. She was still very tired, but she knew that she needed to wake up. She opened her eyes and saw Lady Stark who was glaring at Jon. He was standing next to the bed.

"What is she doing here?" Lady Stark asked, she sounded angry.

"She was here when I came to my tent," Jon replied.

"And you simply allowed her to stay?"

"I…"

"I wanted to stay," Shirei cut in.

Jon turned to look at her.

"Good morning," he said, forcing a smile on his face. "Could you wait outside for a moment?"

Shirei looked at Lady Stark.

"I'm sorry, Lady Stark, I didn't mean to worry you, but I wanted to be with my husband."

"I'm not blaming you for anything, dear," she replied smiling. "Jon should have known better than let you stay here…"

"I wanted to stay," Shirei said as bravely as she dared. "Jon hasn't done anything wrong."

"Alright," Lady Stark sighed. "Come with me now, we must get ready. We can have some breakfast in my tent…"

"Forgive me, but I would like to have breakfast with Jon." Shirei paused and looked at him. "May I?"

Jon cleared his throat.

"Sure."

Shirei really didn't want to anger Lady Stark, but she wanted desperately to show Jon that she could be a good wife for him. He didn't have to send her away.

"Thank you," she said and hurried towards the entrance. "I will bring you breakfast."

She was on her way to the tent where the food supplies were when someone stepped in front of her. It was the man Jon had hit. If Shirei remembered correctly, his name was Theon Greyjoy.

"Good morning, little lady," he said smiling.

"Good morning, my lord," Shirei murmured.

"Where are you going?"

"To the food tent."

"Ah. Serving your husband, are you?"

"I wish to serve him breakfast."

Lord Theon smiled.

"I see. That's a good idea; maybe he won't get rid of you if you serve him well enough."

Shirei's eyes widened.

"Get rid of me?"

"Yes. He has been with many, many women. Beautiful women with large breasts." He paused and looked at Shirei from head to toes. "I'm sorry to tell you this, sweetheart, but your husband isn't a loyal type. He won't settle for you just because he was forced to wed you."

Shirei couldn't get a word out; a flush was rising in her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, little darling," Lord Theon said. "I just wanted to warn you. Men like your husband don't change."

Shirei wanted to say that Jon was a good man, but she didn't want to talk about this with Lord Theon. Quietly she headed to the food tent and gathered few fruits, bread and meat. She was going to try her hardest to make Jon happy. And if he wanted to be with other women… Maybe that was what all husbands did. Her father have had many women, he had sometimes groped them in front of his wife. What if Jon would also do that? She hoped that he wouldn't.


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

6 days later

"Thank you, my lady," a redheaded man said as Shirei handed him his supper.

"You're welcome," Shirei replied. She was still feeling shy talking to men, although the soldiers had treated her kindly. She had tried her best to be useful, so she had washed and mended clothes, helped preparing meals and served them to the men. Jon had assured her that she didn't have to do any of that, but she wanted to. She didn't want to be a useless burden. The next man in line smiled at her.

"Good evening, little lady," he said. "The food smells delicious."

"It's stew," Shirei replied. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will. You have a nice evening."

"You too."

The next man Shirei recognized, she had seen him practicing earlier. He was a big and tall man who had a loud voice.

"Hello there!" he greeted her cheerfully. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes after watching those ugly faces the whole day…"

"You're the one to talk, Fitz," the man behind him snorted. "Just look at your own face."

The tall man turned around and crossed his arms.

"Are you calling me ugly?"

"No," the shorter man huffed. "I'm calling you hideous."

Shirei swallowed as she looked at the tall man. He growled like an angry bear until he suddenly burst into laughter.

"You have a big mouth for such a tiny fellow, Lonny," he chuckled and turned to look at Shirei. "My apologies, little lady, my brother lacks manners."

"Oh… He is your brother?"

"Sadly yes," the tall man chuckled. "Thank you for the food."

"You're welcome."

Shirei had heard all kinds of things in the camp and she didn't blush so easily anymore. She had heard the men talking about prostitutes, whorehouses and many things she didn't understand. They had camped here for few days and she had heard that some men hoped to arrange themselves some company. She had wondered if Jon was one of those men.

He and Lady Stark had allowed Shirei to stay in Jon's tent, but they didn't share a bed. She hadn't seen him much, he had been very busy. At least she had Ghost. The wolf was sitting on the ground beside her, observing her working. After she was finally finished handing out food, she headed to Jon's tent. Once again she hoped that he would be there before she would be asleep.

She washed herself and brushed her hair, hoping to make herself presentable for him. The septa who had taught her and her sisters had said that a woman should always try to look nice for her husband. She had washed and mended some of his clothes this morning and she had picked flowers which she had placed on the small table, hoping to make the tent a little cozier. She also weaved few flowers in her hair. Hopefully Jon would like that.

His supper was ready for him, as it had been every night. Usually he came so late that he had already eaten, but she still wanted to be prepared. She wanted him to be pleased with her. So far he hadn't said anything about sending her away and she hoped to keep things like that. She sat on the bed and petted Ghost. Her life had changed so much after leaving the Twins that she still couldn't believe it. Right now this tent was her home and she liked it here. She felt safe here. Ghost wagged his tail as she rubbed him behind his ears.

"Good boy," she hummed. "My friend."

She startled as she suddenly heard female voices from outside. They were giggling. Cautiously she opened the tent's flap slightly and looked outside. Two men just disappeared behind the corner with a group of women.

"Should we offer one for Lord Stark?" she heard one of the men saying.

"Maybe. Greyjoy wanted two."

"What about Lord Stark's brother? Or is he satisfied with the little Frey girl?"

Both men laughed. Shirei couldn't hear any more; the men were too far away. She returned to the bed and continued petting Ghost. She felt sad and ashamed of herself. Jon had told her many times that she was a child, but she had still hoped that she could make him happy. How could she when she didn't know how to be a woman. She wasn't a real wife. Ghost stood up and headed to the entrance just before Jon stepped inside.

"Hi," Jon greeted the wolf and smiled at Shirei. "Hello."

Shirei stood up, she couldn't hide her surprise.

"You… You're here."

Jon raised an eyebrow, he looked amused.

"Yes, this is my tent. Where else would I be?"

Shirei blushed.

"I… I didn't expect you so early, that's all."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"No! No, no, I'm not…"

"Shirei," he cut in smiling. "I was kidding."

"Oh… I… I have supper for you."

"Thank you," he sighed and sat at the table. "I'm starving." He paused and glanced at the food. "This looks amazing."

"It's just stew."

She poured him some wine before joining him at the table.

"This is delicious," he said.

"I'm happy you like it."

"The flowers are nice," he continued after a moment of silence.

"I picked them this morning."

"That was very thoughtful of you."

She poured him more wine while he finished his supper.

"Thank you. Lady Stark told me you have worked very hard," he said.

"I have tried my best to help," Shirei murmured.

He smiled at her.

"You have."

They were both quiet for a moment; Shirei wasn't sure how to continue.

"Jon?"

"Yes?"

She hesitated, trying to find the right words.

"I… I have been thinking…"

"About what?"

"About you and me. I… I would like to be a real wife to you."

His eyes widened.

"What?"

Her face was bright red, but somehow she managed to continue.

"I… I want to make you happy, so… If you want… I won't mind."

"Shirei…"

"I can be a real wife, I promise. If… If you could teach me…"

"Shirei, no," he said gently.

She was so mortified that she felt tears burning behind her eyes. He didn't want her, she wasn't good enough.

"Oh Shirei," he sighed and moved closer to her. "We have talked about this before, you are too young…"

"I can learn," she murmured.

"I don't want you to. Not yet."

Slowly she looked up.

"Not yet?"

He smiled and took her hand.

"You are my wife, Shirei, I gave my vows to you. Right now you are too young, but after few years…"

"You… You would wait so long?"

He nodded.

"Of course. I may not have much to offer you, but you have my loyalty."

She thought about his words for a moment before nodding.

"And you have mine."

"I hope so," he replied smiling. "A pretty girl like you will no doubt have many suitors."

She shook her head.

"I don't want anyone else. Only you."


End file.
